What is the best potato for scalloped potatoes recipe?

Yukon Gold potatoes are the best choice for a scalloped potatoes recipe. Their medium starch content and naturally buttery flesh hold shape through 60 to 75 minutes of oven baking without turning mushy while releasing enough starch to help thicken the cream sauce from the inside. Russet potatoes have too much starch and break down into a grainy texture. Red potatoes are an acceptable substitute if Yukon Golds are unavailable. Avoid waxy varieties like fingerlings for this recipe.

How thick should you slice potatoes for scalloped potatoes?

Slice potatoes for scalloped potatoes at 1/8 inch thickness, approximately 3mm. This is the Goldilocks zone: thin enough to cook fully through the center within 60 to 75 minutes, thick enough to hold their shape and maintain distinct layers in the finished dish. A mandoline set to its thinnest or second thinnest setting delivers the most consistent results. Slices cut by hand should be checked for consistency before layering.

What is the difference between scalloped potatoes and au gratin?

The primary difference is cheese. Traditional scalloped potatoes have no cheese and are baked in a cream sauce made from butter, flour, milk, and heavy cream. Au gratin potatoes have cheese layered throughout and melted on top, often finished with breadcrumbs under the broiler. Gratin Dauphinois is the French version of scalloped potatoes that uses raw cream with no roux at all. All three use thinly sliced potatoes. The cheese is what distinguishes them.

Can you make scalloped potatoes ahead of time?

Yes. Scalloped potatoes are one of the best make-ahead casseroles for holiday cooking. Assemble unbaked, cover tightly, and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Add 10 to 15 minutes to the covered baking time to account for the cold start. Alternatively, bake fully and refrigerate up to 3 days. The fully baked version actually sets more firmly overnight and cuts more cleanly when reheated. Reheat covered at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 to 30 minutes.

What temperature and how long to bake scalloped potatoes?

Bake scalloped potatoes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 45 minutes, then remove the foil and bake uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes until the top is golden brown and bubbling and a knife inserted at the center meets zero resistance. Total oven time is 65 to 70 minutes. Rest uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Ovens vary and the uncovered phase may need 5 to 10 minutes of adjustment.

How do you keep scalloped potatoes from curdling?

Keep scalloped potatoes from curdling by using full-fat dairy only, building a proper roux before adding any liquid, and bringing the sauce to a gentle simmer rather than a hard boil. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit rather than higher temperatures. Low-fat dairy curdles faster and produces a thinner sauce. A proper roux from butter and flour stabilizes the fat proteins against heat separation. Never let the sauce reach a rolling boil at any point from stovetop to oven.

Perfect Scalloped Potatoes Recipe: 5 Creamy Secrets

Description

Scalloped potatoes recipe made from scratch in 6 steps with Yukon Gold potatoes, homemade cream sauce, and 5 tested secrets for perfect creamy layers every single time.

Ingredients

Scale

3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8 inch thick

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 large yellow onion, finely diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole milk

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup chicken or vegetable broth

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg

1 teaspoon salt, divided between sauce and layers

1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided between sauce and layers

Instructions

1. Peel and slice Yukon Gold potatoes 1/8 inch thick using a mandoline. Do not rinse. Set aside immediately.

2. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add diced onion and cook 5 to 6 minutes until soft. Add garlic and cook 60 seconds only, stirring constantly.

3. Add flour and stir continuously for 90 seconds to build the roux. Pour in milk, cream, and broth slowly while whisking. Add thyme, Dijon mustard, nutmeg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Whisk over medium heat to a gentle simmer until sauce coats the back of a spoon, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat immediately. Do not boil.

4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter a 9×13 inch baking dish. Layer one third of potatoes, season lightly with salt and pepper, pour one third of sauce over. Repeat for second and third layers. Pour remaining sauce over top.

5. Cover tightly with aluminum foil, crimping edges firmly. Bake covered at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 minutes.

6. Remove foil carefully. Bake uncovered 20 to 25 minutes until top is golden brown, sauce is bubbling, and a knife inserted at the center meets zero resistance.

7. Rest uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes before cutting and serving. Do not skip the rest or the sauce will pour out liquid.

Notes

Do not rinse sliced potatoes. Surface starch is the natural thickener that builds the cream sauce body during baking.

Never let the cream sauce reach a hard boil on the stovetop or in the oven. A gentle simmer only prevents curdling.

Season each potato layer individually with salt and pepper before adding sauce. The cream sauce alone cannot season every layer.

For cheesy scalloped potatoes: stir 1 1/2 cups shredded Gruyere or sharp cheddar into the warm sauce before layering.

For scalloped potatoes with ham: add 1 1/2 cups diced thick-cut cooked ham between the second and third potato layers.

Make ahead unbaked: assemble, cover tightly, refrigerate up to 24 hours. Add 10 to 15 minutes to covered bake time.

Make ahead fully baked: cool completely, cover, refrigerate up to 3 days. Reheat covered at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 to 30 minutes.

Freeze in individual portions up to 2 months. Reheat from frozen covered at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 40 to 45 minutes.

Pairs perfectly with our red potatoes in an air fryer recipe and our corned beef and cabbage recipe for a complete holiday spread.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 70 minutes
Category: Side Dish
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1/8 of dish
Calories: 310
Sugar: 4
Sodium: 420
Fat: 18
Saturated Fat: 11
Unsaturated Fat: 6
Trans Fat: 0
Carbohydrates: 32
Fiber: 3
Protein: 6
Cholesterol: 55

Keywords: scalloped potatoes recipe, scalloped potatoes from scratch, best scalloped potatoes, creamy scalloped potatoes recipe, scalloped potatoes without canned soup, Yukon gold scalloped potatoes, easy scalloped potatoes, scalloped potatoes holiday side dish, how thick to slice potatoes for scalloped potatoes, scalloped potatoes baking time temperature, scalloped potatoes make ahead, why are my scalloped potatoes watery, scalloped potatoes with ham, scalloped potatoes vs au gratin